The auto industry these days has its
eyes on Hyundai. Hyundai has made great strides over the past two
decades when it comes to improving its quality, reliability, and
public image. Hyundai has gone from making the simply terrible Excel
from the 80s to making credible luxury sedans like the Genesis
and Equus today (along with a
full stable of more mainstream vehicles).

Now, Hyundai is looking to make a huge
leap in fuel efficiency for its vehicles according to Detroit
News. Hyundai's North American CEO, John Krafcik, is looking to
boost the fleet fuel efficiency average from a current level of 30.9
mpg (the industry's highest total) to a whopping 50 mpg within the
next 15 years.

"We're committing today to a 50
mpg target by 2025," stated Krafcik. "We're all in. Let's
go as far as we can. We don't know how to get there."

Hyundai will need to devote as much as
20 percent of its production to hybrid/plug-in
hybrid vehicles and roughly 5 percent of production to electric
vehicles to meet that lofty goal.

Hyundai is already well on its way to
boosting fuel efficiency across the board with its mainstream
vehicles. The Hyundai Sonata is among
the most fuel efficient midsize family sedans available on the
U.S. market with fuel economy ratings of 24/35 mpg city/highway with
its standard 198 hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. For those that
crave more power, the 274 hp 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine
option beats its competitors' V6 offerings in power and fuel
efficiency at 22/34 mpg.

I think that it is a fair question to ask. Why since fuel economy became a concern with the 70s oil embargo has mileage on cars slipped so much?

While it is true that government regs on safety and emissions have played a large part in making the cars heavier, it still does not explain it. I think that automakers in the US and all over the world have dropped the ball.

In other words, does it really take gas climbing to $5 a gallon to get people off of their collective a$$ and work on this when there should have been large R&D going into this for decades?

I will not comment on the status of your IQ, but clearly you missed the whole point of the post, so read into that what you want.

If you Google "average fuel economy over time" or something similar. you will get an EPA PDF somewhere in there that shows you average vehicle weight and average fuel economy over time for different sectors. The fuel economy has barely changed since 1980, but weight has increased steadily.

If you extrapolate from the average efficiency in 1980 and the weight gain, it comes out to something ridiculous, like 50-60mpg average for cars. Safety features, market demand, and emission reductions have demanded cars continue to increase in weight. This is good overall, but yes, it has severely limited fuel efficiency over time.

I think hybrid technology will come down in price and the weight gain and size gain trend in vehicles will slow, and engine efficiency will continue to increase. Just give it five or ten years.

quote: OK I will buy that. I still wonder though how one of the SMART cars would fare in the same crash that my old Civic died in.

The car would die, but you wouldn't. The Smart is light years safer then that old Civic, as is all modern cars. Smart actually markets the safety of their Triton Cage Frame design. There are numerous crash test vids on the net.

quote: While it is true that government regs on safety and emissions have played a large part in making the cars heavier, it still does not explain it.

Yes it does explain it!! A heavier car takes more power to move which lowers fuel economy. Today's emissions equipment along with fuel additives to reduce emissions reduce fuel efficiency. These are facts. An 1800 lb car is going to get better fuel economy than a 3600 lb one. One requires less energy to move than the other. Duh.

quote: I will not comment on the status of your IQ, but clearly you missed the whole point of the post, so read into that what you want.

His point has been debated in every single fuel economy thread. It's old. He even alluded to already knowing the answer to his own question but asked it again. Hence he IS an idiot or just maybe insane.